Chapter 75: The Barbie Doll That Dances

Chapter 75: The Barbie Doll That Dances

After Yingling finished explaining her “divine” logic, she noticed Louis didn’t pay her any attention. He just sat there drinking his tea. This made her forget all the explanations she had prepared.

Unable to bear the silence, lost in her wild thoughts, Yingling couldn’t help but feel utterly heartbroken. She lowered her head in fright and started crying.

When she had almost finished crying and looked up, hiccuping, she saw that Louis seemed to have finished his tea. He was fiddling with a small old-fashioned record player on the tea table by himself and placed a record on it.

Yingling couldn’t help but blink her peach-blossom eyes, red from crying, not understanding what this meant.

[It seemed that even though Yingling repeatedly pleaded in her heart for a tricycle ride, Louis still felt it was a bit too much of a mood-killer. Fortunately, he hadn’t forgotten the original purpose of his visit…]

One after another, lively music began to play.

Seeming to find it amusing, Louis crossed his legs and started tapping his foot to the rhythm of the music.

After lightly patting his leg to the beat, Louis looked at Yingling and gestured towards an empty spot on the floor in the not-too-far living room.

Suddenly, Yingling understood something. It felt like thunderbolts struck her mind.

She bit her lip, her whole body trembling, the fur on her ears and tail standing on end—this type of music was often played late at night in various taverns.

Those streetwalkers would dance to this kind of music.

So, it was a bit… vulgar.

The Red Fox Den had played this music too before—Lilith thought it was very fashionable and cool. But because Yingling later thought it was a bit vulgar, she scolded the staff and had the music changed.

This Red Fox Den, even though it had a slightly… suggestive atmosphere, was a legitimate business. Why play such music?

Where would that leave the face of me, Earl Da Yingling?

Where would that leave our family’s reputation?

Seeing Yingling tremble all over, Louis was struck speechless.

People’s ideas in this era seemed particularly conservative.

So… this music was a bit special?

He hadn’t really paid attention. He had found it in a secret compartment of Director Trif’s drawer. After listening, it sounded quite merry, so he thought it was an interesting collectible.

He remembered there were eighteen songs on this record—so it was the “Eighteen Touches.”

That Trif, what a lecherous old man, truly lacking any elegant taste.

This was getting quite awkward.

He didn’t necessarily have to do anything specific today. After all, many people used his name; one more didn’t make much difference.

He just intended to tease her a bit, tell her to behave in the future, listen to some music, and then let her off.

But it seemed Yingling treated the matter of dancing as more important than her life. As if she’d rather die.

That couldn’t be it…

Curious, Louis listened to Yingling’s thoughts.

[He wants me to dance like that?]

[He actually wants me to dance like this?]

[I hit the jackpot?!]

‘???’

Louis suddenly felt his fingers enveloped in a warm, soft touch. He looked down to see it was Miss Yingling, trembling all over with excitement. Her fiery gaze hooked Louis for a moment before she, like a fiery fox leaping into a snowy field, flipped and landed on the carpet in the center of the living room.

To the lively rhythm of the music, holding that book of classic poetry, she gracefully kicked off her high heels and happily began to dance gracefully.

She expressed the joy in her heart, looking at Louis, conveying everything in her mind to him through her dance and her eyes.

Back at the Red Fox Den, she said she hated vulgar things the most. Yet, she danced to these tunes, each one more vulgar than the last.

Louis had also said he hated vulgar things the most and preferred elegance.

But the foot he had crossed started tapping to the rhythm from the moment the music began—like some old master listening to an opera, thoroughly enjoying himself.

One dance tune ended, and another began. Yingling danced self-forgetfully, her eyes burning as she looked at Louis.

The carriage outside the door had arrived. The dance partner who had gone out of his way, traveling across half the city to pick up Yingling, knocked on the door again and again. But Yingling seemed not to hear it. She just focused on dancing that little vulgar dance.

Perhaps she completely failed to notice the knocking, because the so-called important charity ball had already been tossed to the tip of her tail and forgotten.

[I’m sorry, little sister. You just live well with your little pretty boy for now. What’s happening with your big sister tonight is far too important!]

She paid full attention to Louis’s subtle movements. Every time Louis’s fingers tapped on the armrest of the sofa a few times to the music’s rhythm, Yingling’s heart would bloom with joy.

With her continuous efforts, Louis finally started nodding occasionally.

Yingling seemed to receive immense reward and was almost moved to tears.

He nodded! He actually nodded at me!

Louis indeed nodded. He truly hadn’t expected this lady’s train of thought to be so… uniquely clear.

Nor had he expected such old-fashioned dance tunes to be danced by her so… interestingly.

It really was quite amusing.

Gradually, Louis couldn’t help but join in—he was too lazy to move from his spot, just occasionally moving his fingers, correcting Yingling’s movements as if controlling a ‘dancing Barbie doll’. She learned very quickly and was very good at applying what she learned to other situations.

She was also very understanding. Even excessively good at misinterpreting intentions.

And also very good at asking for trouble.

During the last two dance tunes, the fox-lady slowly crawled over. Then, on the tea table, wagging her tail, looking back over her shoulder, she gazed at Louis with her watery peach-blossom eyes, batting her eyelashes.

“Daddy, the homework you left for me… I-I didn’t do it…” As she spoke, Yingling wiped her tears and pouted.

The baby-talk words from Yingling finally got to Louis a bit. Goosebumps rose on his arm.

Louis couldn’t help but interrupt Yingling and gave her a look—if you keep talking like that, I’ll spank you to death. I’ll give you one chance to say it again properly.

Louis’s fierce glare made an innocent look appear on Yingling’s face. She said, “I-I was just being naughty!”

Saying that, she turned her head away and raised her tail.

Looking at the raised tail before him, a buzzing sound filled Louis’s mind.

Ahem, originally I planned to leave soon. After all, Little O checks the rooms… but now it seems leaving like this wouldn’t be good—yes, this flirtatious fox is just asking for a spanking! This baby-talk habit, I must correct it for her, right?

Miss Yingling is, after all, Little O’s close friend. I can’t just watch her keep this bad habit, right?

[You convinced yourself…]

Louis stayed for a few more hours. He properly punished this infuriating little fox.

[You defeated an elite Witch.]

[Mana +1]

[Experience +50]

[Tonight, you left a little red flower as a reward for her. She cried happily many times.]

[Clearly, Miss Yingling has two completely different, contrasting sides. Today, you saw both sides thoroughly and completely…]

[‘Understood another person. This world is quite interesting.’]

When the midnight moonlight fell like white snow on the bed, the sweating Yingling gradually woke up. By then, the space beside her was already empty.

Her eyes were very swollen and red, and her whole body ached terribly. But the excitement in her heart hadn’t faded yet.

Lifting the thin blanket, she touched her beating heart. Yingling felt everything tonight was like a dream.

Yes, she was pulled into the world of dreams by the Faceless One, born from the dreams and fantasies of Wizards, intoxicating and mesmerizing.

Or rather, this exhilarating… made Yingling feel fantastical.

It was like a dream! He really did that with me…

If not for the soreness on her body, Yingling might have suspected she just had a dream…

But all of this was real!

Yingling couldn’t help but touch the little red flower on the bedsheet…

He seemed… he seemed particularly young, much younger than she imagined.

Strong as a dragon!

Even… even making her feel, somehow, that she was older than him…

But she was only 27…

How was that possible…

Dismissing these unrealistic thoughts, Yingling gazed out the window at the huge round moon.

She believed that rumor more and more. He truly did originate from the dreams of Wizards—yes, he was a real, living person, more vibrant than any living person.

But he also came from dreams, from her own dreams—like a person who walked out of her dream.

Yingling suddenly couldn’t help but remember the private words her sister had secretly told her—the little girl sometimes suspected that the pretty boy she kept was a Prince who walked out of her dream…

The reason was quite funny—just because he put crystal high heels on her for her.

That day, Yingling laughed at Ocircess for a long time.

How could there be a Prince who walked out of dreams in this world?

There are only lovers, daddies. Or the feared and worshipped Dark Lord…

He fit all her fantasies about a Demon King.

He fit them too well. A terrifying Wizard like the Dark Lord, but even younger…

And also, male!

Wasn’t this a person who walked out of her own fantasies…

Yingling felt he needed a close, understanding person.

He would need one…

She hoped he would visit again, preferably once a week.

She wanted to dance for him. She wanted to become, among his many toys, that favorite dancing Barbie doll.

[You seemed to tacitly confirm some of the rumors in Blackhorn Alley.]

[Yingling never dreamed that the boasts she once made would one day all come true…]

[Dancing Barbie Doll +1]

When Louis saw this Narration message, having returned in the middle of the night, he had just woken up in his dormitory bed.